Caron A. Zell, MA, LPC

“My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.”— Marcel Proust

Caron developed her interest in psychotherapy through an indirect route. After completing her undergraduate degree and living in New York, she was drawn to working in schools with youth. Upon returning to Pennsylvania, Caron continued to work in the school system with children who had special needs. For her, this experience quickly grew into a passion for the mental health profession, and for being a part of a helping relationship. Since then, Caron has worked in many settings with adults, children, and families with a variety of concerns and behavioral/emotional needs.

Each person is unique, and brings different sources of strength as well as different needs to treatment; Caron appreciates each client’s individuality and uses a variety of techniques and creative interventions depending on these factors. Collaborating with schools and other professionals is important to her work. She strongly believes in the importance of an authentic, honest therapeutic relationship. Her theoretical orientation is a merging of psychodynamic, systems, and cognitive-behavioral theories, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches. She has experience treating a diverse population, and views multi-cultural competence as a key area of her continuing personal growth.

Caron has completed a three-year training program in Eco-systemic Structural Family Therapy, and a particular area of interest is treating children and families who have experienced trauma and who may be experiencing child/caregiver attachment difficulties. She also enjoys working with individual adults and couples to address areas including trauma, mood-related issues such as depression and anxiety, fertility and family planning, and domestic violence.

Caron lives in the Carlisle area with her husband, and can often be found with her nose in a book or cooking. She spends much of her time outdoors through volunteering, kayaking, gardening, and hiking with her dogs.

BA in English and American Literature, New York University, 2000

MA in Applied Clinical Psychology, Penn State University, 2013

Certified Family Based Mental Health Professional, 2014

Nationally Certified Psychologist, North American Association of Masters in Psychology (NAMP), 2015